Reticulum Web
by Td03
Summary: I'm scared of Crepsley... reminds me of... [shivers...]


**I posted this not out of whim, but out of my sheer love for this epic trilogy.**

**I only have chapter 4, and I can't stand looking up the Wiki and the official site to read this story, I wanna make a chapter that would describe the whole story so I copy pasted this. And my hands tingled and magically posted this. I am sorry if you are pissed off on me, blame my hands. **

**Oh. They're twitching.**

* * *

><p><strong>Cirque Du Freak<strong>

Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve Leonard, go to a traveling freak show and Steve recognizes one of the performers as a vampire. Steve goes to see the vampire, Larten Crepsley, after the show and tries to convince him to turn him into a vampire. Crepsley insists that becoming a vampire means having to give up any hope of a normal life, and Gavner Purl notes that children aren't supposed to become vampires anyway. Steve then reveals that he hates his life, and wants to be a vampire more than anything else. Crepsley reluctantly tests Steve's blood, but quickly spits it out, saying he has bad blood. Steve furiously swears revenge on Crepsley and leaves. Darren, who is hiding in the cupboard after stealing Crepsley's spider, Madam Octa, overhears the whole thing.

When Crepsley realizes that Madam Octa has been stolen, Darren flees from the theater with Crepsley hot on his trail. Outside there is a limo waiting for him, which he is told to get into. Inside he meets Desmond Tiny and mad Vampaneze Murlough. Murlough is unimpressed with Darren, but Mr. Tiny is certain he has great potential. They drop Darren off at his house where he sneaks back into his room.

The next day at school, Darren tries to take a look at Madam Octa, but Steve catches him and tries to get a close look at her while holding her cage. The bell rings, startling Steve and making him drop the cage, and she escapes. As Madam Octa tries to escape the school she creates chaos and Steve chases her, trying to kill her, and Darren follows after trying to save her. At the last moment Madam Octa slips into Steve's shirt, bites him, and makes good her escape. Madam Octa's poisonous bite leaves Steve in the hospital, and it is likely he will not survive. Darren then goes to Crepsley to ask for the antidote and is offered a deal by him. Crepsley will keep Darren safe from Mr. Tiny and give him the antidote if Darren becomes a half-vampire and Crepsley's vampire assistant. They administer the antidote to Steve at the hospital, after which Darren, who still wishes to be rid of Crepsley, sounds the hospital alarm, forcing Crepsley to leave without him.

**The Vampire's Assistant**

The story begins with the main protagonist of the last adventure, Darren Shan, and his guardian Larten Crepsley moving in for a drink of blood from an ex-scout. Darren is beginning to cope with life as a vampire's assistant though he still refuses to drink human blood and hates his companion, Mr. Crepsley, for turning him into a half vampire which has led him to faking his own death. Although he is far stronger than any human and is still finding it hard to adjust to his new life. His unchallenged strength causes him to be alone, as he can not make any human friends without harming them. Larten teaches Darren all about vampirism and sometimes is shown to regret blooding Darren and decides to take him to the Cirque du Freak.

He makes good friends with Evra Von, the snake boy. When they meet a young boy called Sam Grest who loves pickled onions, things begin to look up...and down. A local ecological preserver hippie known as Reggie Veggie (RV) befriends the trio of boys, but soon begins to learn about the animals that the Little People are feeding on animals stolen from farmers. Darren soon begins to worry Reggie, so he goes to tell Mr. Tall but becomes preoccupied on his way because Truska, the bearded lady, put together a new set of clothes for Darren. Darren must then do Evra's chores as he is tending to his sick snake, and forgets about telling Mr. Tall about Reggie that day.

A night of performance comes, as Mr. Tall finally gets wind of Reggie from Darren, but doubts that he can do any damage. But the Cirque did move along from that place, because of Reggie's threatening to call the police. Darren, who still refuses to drink human blood, decides not to perform and sets off. He hears a sound coming from the wolfman's cage, and decides to investigate. It was Reggie Veggie who was trying to free the wolf-man, but has no idea how violent the wolf man can be. After biting off Reggie's arms, the wolf-man sets off after a figure behind Darren, who has dropped a bag of clothes and onions which belong to Sam. Darren learns he was going to smuggle himself away with the circus. Eventually Sam is killed by the wolf man. While standing over Sam's corpse, Mr. Crepsley convinces Darren to drink Sam's blood, therefore "preserving" some of Sam's soul, including his love for pickled onions, as decided from a discussion of vampirism between Crepsley and Darren.

**Tunnels of Blood**

This story introduces Gavner Purl, a full vampire and an old friend of Mr. Crepsley. Gavner Purl is a Vampire General. Gavner Purl is shocked to discover Darren a half-vampire. Mr. Crepsley wants to talk to Gavner Purl alone in secrecy. After the meeting, Gavner walks with Darren for a while, revealing to him that Mr. Crepsley was a Vampire General and was about to be invested as a Vampire Prince, who is a leader of the Vampire Clan. He also lets slip that Mr. Crepsley is going to leave the Cirque and finally binds Darren to secrecy regarding all these facts. A day or so later, Mr. Crepsley does inform Darren that he must leave and Darren has to accompany him to some place. He suggests that Evra can come with Darren as if on a "vacation" and to help him keep Darren out of mischief as Mr. Crepsley pointed out incidents regarding Madam Octa and Sam Grest.

They go to the city (New York City) and get a disguise made for Evra and in the night while Mr. Crepsley goes out on mysterious excursions, in the day, Darren and Evra enjoy themselves. When looking for a Christmas gift for Evra, Darren comes across Debbie, a girl from the Square, where they were staying. The two begin dating and like each other very much.

After a date and a "kiss" with Debbie, when one night Darren reaches back to the hotel, he and Evra are disturbed by a news report saying that human bodies were found in a basement, drained of blood. Darren and Evra fear that it may be Mr. Crepsley, and decide to track him at night to see where he goes. When Darren thinks that he is about to go and kill a man, Darren attempts to face Mr. Crepsley and tries to stop him, but discovers that it was actually a work of a mad vampaneze named Murlough. Murlough runs away, managing to kidnap Evra with him. Mr. Crepsley tells Darren about the Vampaneze and Murlough. Mr. Crepsley and Darren discover Evra kidnapped when they come out of the abattoir where the man Murlough intending to kill was. Mr. Crepsley declares that Evra has been or would be killed by Murlough. Darren takes the loss of Evra pretty badly.

Darren goes over to Debbie to seek some comfort. He gets invited over to her house for Christmas Eve. Debbie almost cries when she realizes that Darren might have to leave suddenly and gives him a hug. Murlough spots Darren with Debbie and sneers him about, demanding for Mr. Crepsley and a release for Evra. Darren refuses. On returning, Darren tells Mr. Crepsley about Debbie, his talk with Murlough and his refusal to sell Mr. Crepsley for Evra. Mr. Crepsley is highly impressed and they begin making plans to save Evra before 25 December, the day when Murlough has promised to kill Evra.

The two venture down the sewers and Darren gets caught by the vampaneze. Darren gives Murlough a piece of his mind by telling him about the vampire laws. He then decides to trade Debbie's life for Evra's. They reach Debbie's home and room where Mr. Crepsley slays Murlough, who is tricked into killing a goat, according to Darren's plan. The dying vampaneze whispers to Darren, 'Cluh-cluh-clever buh-buh-buh boy, hmmm?'. Afterwards, Darren decorates Debbie's Christmas tree and kisses Debbie on her forehead and wishes, 'Merry Christmas, Debbie'.

**Vampire Mountain**

Six years have passed since the events in _Tunnels of Blood_ and eight years in total in Darren's vampire life. Darren is whisked away by Mr. Crepsley to a perilous and torturous journey to the Vampire Mountain. Whilst Evra Von the Snake-Boy has grown up, and will not be accompanying Darren in his journey, Darren and Crepsley are accompanied by Mr. Desmond Tiny's two of the many workers – the Little People. One of them is Lefty, a Little Person named after his limp by Darren and Evra.

On their journey they encounter a cave which is splattered with a dead vampire's blood, Gavner Purl - a friend of Crepsley's, the blood of a dead vampaneze, and a mad bear who had been infected with vampaneze blood (hence the madness) and thus attacked Darren, who with a little help from the Little People and a pack of wolves whom he had befriended, killed the bear. After the fight, it is then revealed that Lefty, a Little Person, is actually named Harkat Mulds and can speak. He has been given the ability by Mr. Tiny to give the Vampire Princes a message about a person who will lead the vampaneze against a war against the vampires.

The company hurries on even more tensed than ever, and are welcomed into the Vampire Mountain by Seba Nile, Mr. Crepsly's mentor. Soon after, Darren meets a friendly and a soon-to-be Vampire Prince, Kurda Smahlt - a pacifist, a cartographer and probably the only vampire to be invested as a Prince because of his wit -, Vanez Blaze - the one-eyed and caring Games Master and Arra Sails - one of the very few female vampires, with an extraordinary sense of balance.

Soon, Darren and Crepsley attend one of the Vampire Council sessions, and it is decided, that because Larten Crepsley blooded a child for no obvious or logical reason, Darren would have to prove himself that he is worthy of being a part of the Vampire Clan by passing the Trials of Initiation or the Trials of Death - five of many tasks which a vampire must perform to show their physical strength, courage and bravery. Darren agrees to this, out of affection for Crepsley so that he may not be shamed, and also because of his own desire to prove himself. He, however, remains oblivious to the fact that the price for failing a Trial is death on stakes, until it is too late to take back his word.

**Trials of Death**

Darren Shan is about to take the Trials of Initiation, a series of tests that vampires were forced to take part in in years gone by, to prove himself to the Princes. Currently, it is only used for vampires who want to become a general, or for those who wish to demonstrate their strength. However, Darren Shan is required to endure the trials to earn the respect of the entire vampire race for his mentor Mr Crepsley's 'impulsive' decision to turn him. Darren is mostly trained by the games master of the Mountain, Vanez Blaze

For The first trial He must escape from a maze that is filling with water whilst dragging a stone weighing half of his body weight. The second trial Darren must complete is The Path of Needles, a barefoot journey through one of the mountains many caverns littered with stalagmites and stalactites, all of which are razor sharp and could fall at any second.

Luck is on Darren's side as the Festival of the Undead takes place right after his second trial. During this three-day period no official business can take place meaning he gets a five-day rest before his next trial. Suffering from a lot of cuts, notably on his hands and back, he finds it hard to enjoy the festival. A veteran vampire and also Larten Crepsely's mentor, Seba Nile, tells him to meet him later as he had a cure for his discomfort. They go to a cavern deep inside the mountain which is covered in spider webs and Darren soon realizes that it is full of hundreds of thousands of spiders. Seba breaks up the cobwebs and applies them to Darren's cuts which he says helped immediately.

After the Festival of the Undead, Darren must choose his third trial which is The Hall of Flames, a metal room with various jets that emit flames periodically. Darren must remain in the room for approximately fifteen minutes, trying not to be 'toasted' by the scorching hot flames. This is reveled by many to be one of the hardest trials he could have picked, and barely survives it.

The fourth trial is The Blooded Boars, a trial which is generally considered quite easy for full vampires. As Darren is only a half vampire and still nursing bad wounds from the previous trial, he struggles. The aim is to kill two wild boars which have been injected with vampire blood making them more aggressive than usual. Darren kills the first boar but it lands on top of him, his lack of strength means he is unable to move the boar as the second closes in. It charges at him, certain to kill him when Harkat Mulds, the Little Person who accompanies Darren in his journey to the Mountain steps in and kills the boar. This causes uproar as failure to complete the trials leads to death. Mr. Crepsley and Kurda, a soon to be Vampire Prince, argue that Harkat is not a vampire and cannot be expected to behave by their rules, and it was not that Darren would've died if he'd not been interrupted by Harkat. However, it is decided for Darren to be executed for not completing the Trials.

Kurda finds Darren in his room facing imminent death and encourages him to escape the mountain. Regretfully Darren follows Kurda as they make for one of the mountains many exits. Soon they are tracked down by Gavner Purl who tries to convince them to go back but eventually ends up following them. They come across a cavern full of the Vampaneze. Kurda tells Darren to go on and him and Gavner would stay and fight the Vampaneze. Darren heads off but decides to come back and fight. He comes back and witnesses Kurda stabbing Gavner in the stomach and it is revealed he is an ally of the Vampaneze. Darren runs and ends up in the Hall of Final Voyage, where dead vampires were tossed into the strong current and washed out of the mountain. He realizes he is on the wrong side of the stream and attempts to jump over it. He falls short and manages to grab on to a rock as Kurda and the Vampaneze enter the cave. Kurda offers his hand to help pull him back to safety but Darren brands him a traitor and pushes himself out into the current. He is swept out of sight into the darkness beyond.

**The Vampire Prince**

The book carries on from when Darren Shan was falling down a roaring river in _Trials of Death_, and he must make his way back to Vampire Mountain, while avoiding Kurda Smahlt and his accomplices. The river, which used to carry the dead bodies of vampires away, goes right through the Vampire Mountain. He was washed down the river, emerging from it alive-a feat that nobody achieved before this- but bruised, battered, and exhausted. He was naked, cold, and barely had energy for walking, and soon collapses. By luck he bumped into two wolves, Streak and Rudi - the "wolf friends" he knew from an earlier encounter. These wolves help him make his way back to Vampire Mountain safely. He must find a way to inform the Vampire Princes (the leaders of the vampires) of Kurda's treachery before they crown him a fellow Prince. Kurda's treason includes hiding Vampaneze inside the mountain, preparing to murder the Princes and attempting to gain control of the Stone of Blood (a powerful stone that can be used to locate any vampire who has touched it) with which he would force the vampires to join the Vampaneze and become a single clan once more.

However, with Seba Nile's help, Darren reveals Kurda to the Princes in the nick of time. The Vampaneze are found and savagely murdered. Arra Sails is badly wounded during the fight with the Vampaneze and dies. Vanez Blane loses his other eye, and Darren kills two Vampaneze, but is sickened by his own battle lust. Even though Kurda's intentions were pure,(he wanted to save the clan in order to prevent their daownfall to the Vampaneze Lord) the Princes give him the most terrible punishment possible: execution by impalement of stakes in the Hall of Death in the manner of a traitor and shameful cremation, so that he may not reach Paradise. During his trial, Kurda explains his plans to the vampires, and they see that he wasn't selfish, so they no longer hate him.

Darren is supposed to be executed for fleeing the Prince's judgment, but the Princes, wanting to hold true to traditions and spare Darren, decide that he must be made a Prince, thereby putting him above the laws which demand his execution. Mr. Crepsley however is hurt by the loss of his friend and former mate, Arra Sails.

**Hunters of the Dusk**

In the seventh book of this series, not long into his years as a Prince, Darren is once again visited by Desmond Tiny (the creator of vampires and Little People). He explains that the three hunters must find and hunt down the Vampaneze Lord if they have any hopes to win the war. He announces that two of them are Darren and Mr. Crepsley, but the third one they must find on their way. The hunters are told by Mr. Tiny that they will cross paths with the Lord of the Vampaneze four times throughout their quest, and have only those four chances to destroy him.

They leave and go to Lady Evanna for help as they were instructed by . On the way they meet with Vancha March, another Vampire Prince and the last hunter. Vancha's skin is a dark shade of red, due to his constant battle with the sun (he thinks that the sun, like any other enemy of the creatures of the night, can be defeated) and does not like to use weapons, using his bare hands instead. Though, he does use the shurikens that are strapped to his belt when necessary. He prefers to wear only clothes made from animals, and doesn't care for having many manners. He claims to be a ladies man, though Darren perceives him as someone whom all women dislike.

The three get to Evanna's house, and she lets them stay with her for a few days so they can discuss what said and where they should go next. Leaving Lady Evanna's house, they set their sites back towards the Cirque Du Freak, following Darren's gut feeling as a Vampire Prince and the main hunter. While they are staying there, Darren notices Lady Evanna leaving the Cirque one night and follows her to a nearby forest. He witnesses Lady Evanna meeting with a group of Vampaneze and fears the worst. Darren gets the others, and they prepare an attack.

After launching what seemed to be a successful strike on the group of Vampaneze, two of them get away. One being Vancha's brother, and the other being a servant of the Vampaneze. Vancha lets them get away after realizing that one is his brother. However, little to their knowledge, the servant was actually a disguise and it turned out to be the Lord of the Vampaneze! After a few more nights at the Cirque to once again come up with a strategy, they set off to once more try to encounter the Lord and destroy him to end the War of the Scars.

**Allies of the Night**

Darren, Harkat, and Mr. Crepsley (Vancha going back to Vampire Mountain to inform the other Princes and Generals of their encounter with the Vampaneze Lord) go to Mr. Crepsley's hometown once again to investigate if Vampaneze had set up territories there. But soon after their arrival Darren is discovered by the police and forced to attend school. He has trouble with most of his subjects as he only has a middle school education, but luckily (or perhaps unluckily?) his English teacher is Debbie, his old girlfriend from his first visit to this city.

Mr. Crepsley has to go back to Vampire Mountain again for Paris Skyle's funeral, leaving Darren and Harkat to continue the investigations alone. One night on his way back to the hotel room the three are staying in, Darren encounters a Vampaneze with hooks for hands and a mask wrapped around his face. The Vampaneze attacks, but Darren is saved by his old friend Steve. Steve joins Darren for the hunt of the Vampaneze, claiming he's changed his ways and now understands who the real enemy is and dropped his desire for vengeance against Darren and long ago.

Darren later reveals himself as a vampire to Debbie, and after a long explanation and a day's contemplating she joins Darren and Steve for the fight. Mr. Crepsley comes back and helps Darren pursue the Vampaneze, but understandably doesn't trust Steve. Darren does convince him, however, that Steve will be a big help for them and lets him come with them. Vancha also joins them again a few days later.

They chase the hooked Vampaneze to the sewers at night, but the Vampaneze led them to a trap. Darren and his team are soon surrounded and the Vampaneze Lord make his second appearance. Darren tries to kill him, but is stopped by Steve, who shows his true side as being a half-vampaneze and betraying Darren and his friends. The hooked Vampaneze is also revealed to be RV (Previously known as Reggie Veggie, but now claims it stands for Righteous Vampaneze).

A fight begins between the Hunters and the Vampaneze. Vancha charges through the Vampets, scattering them and Mr. Crepsley follows, slicing with his nails to bring down many Vampaneze. Darren soon beats Steve and is about to finish him off, but RV uses Debbie as a hostage. RV, Gannen Harst, and the Lord soon leave with the threat that they will kill Debbie if they are followed. Darren and Vancha take a Vampet and Steve as their hostage and are given a warning by Gannen to leave the tunnels immediately or he'll send Vampaneze to finish them off.

**Killers of the Dawn**

Mr. Crepsley, Darren, and Harkat go into the tunnels, where they find Vancha. They arm themselves with weapons carelessly discarded by the Vampaneze and seek out Steve. Steve calls the rest of the Vampaneze. There is a battle between the two sides vampaneze and vampires, and soon they face the Vampaneze Lord. The Vampaneze Lord says that he and Mr. Crepsley must fight one another alone with no help from anyone. The Vampaneze and Vampires stop their fighting. At last Mr. Crepsley kills the Vampaneze Lord, but Steve jumps onto his back and causes him to fall over the cliff, where he is hanging over the pit of flaming stakes with Steve. Since he believes the Vampaneze Lord is dead, he agrees to kill himself and stop holding on to Steve in exchange for rest. Mr. Crepsley lets go of Steve and falls into the pit below, giving Darren a smile as they've succeeded in ending the war.

Or so he thinks.

After he is dead and everyone has safely departed, Steve reveals himself to Darren as the Vampaneze Lord: the one whom Darren or Vancha must destroy for the sake of the world. Mr. Crepsley's death had been in vain, which leaves Darren devastated and feeling empty, so much so he can't even cry. This is a perfect ending leading smoothly onto the 10th book where it goes straight into a recap of Killers of the Dawn.

**The Lake of Souls**

The Lake of Souls takes place right after Killers of the Dawn. Darren cannot cry. He feels numb, but with the help of the bearded Lady, Truska, he eventually does so. Mr. Tiny then appears and tells Harkat that if he wants his nightmares (which have returned) to stop, he must walk through a portal that Mr. Tiny makes. Harkat refuses to let Darren go with him. Debbie Hemlock and Police Chief Alice Burgess want to start an army to combat the Vampets, but have to get the approval of the Vampire Princes first, so they are only mentioned briefly. Darren later decides that he should go with Harkat, much to Harkat's dismay. Darren and Harkat then walk through the mysterious portal, and are thrown into a strange, gray world.

Darren and Harkat are forced to complete many difficult tasks. They first hunt down a black panther and collect a map inside it. Darren finds that the panther's teeth have been marked with letters. They start rearranging the teeth, with Harkat using up all the teeth to get SLAM DARK HUT, and then again to find it reads HARKAT MULDS. Harkat dismisses it as an utter waste of time, as Mr. Tiny loves to meddle with time. Harkat keeps the teeth, saying that they might be useful as they are sharp.

Next they have to steal 'gelatinous globes' from the world's biggest toad. They arrive to see the toad standing in the middle of a lake surrounded by crocodiles. Darren and Harkat zip through the lake, grab a few globes, then run off.

Darren and Harkat eventually meet up with Lady Evanna. Her appearance is completely unexpected, and she does not wish to tell the two how or why she is there. She helps them get across the lake where they meet a man who calls himself Spits Abrams. Spits is a former pirate and heavy drinker, and although Darren and Harkat do not trust him very much, they decide that Mr. Tiny put him in that world for a reason, and decide to take him with them.

They soon reach a small area filled with 'people' called Kulashkas (since they are chanting "kulashka" more than any other word.) They are required to steal vials of 'holy liquid'. Darren and Harkat enter the village, Spits being afraid, to find the 'holy liquid' to be the venom from the fangs of a huge creature called the Grotesque. The Grotesque is apparently the Kulashkas' god. Darren and Harkat rush to two vials containing the venom and are attacked by the Grotesque.

Harkat raises the vial as the Grotesque attempts to kill him, and the Grotesque backs off. The Kulashkas arrive, pointing spears at Darren and Harkat, trying to drive them back. They are driven closer to the Grotesque and Darren drives them back with his vial. The chief of the Kulashkas starts trying to speak to them in a non-understandable language, with Darren saying that he can't understand them. The chief starts gesturing that they are free to leave, but must return the vials to the altar which carried them. Darren starts to do so, but a drunken Spits arrives,and cuts the kulashkas with his knife as Darren throws one vial at the Grotesque, which explodes, hurting the Grotesque and those nearby it, revealing the liquid to be highly explosive. Harkat sees floorboards underneath them and starts stomping on them. Darren joins in, with Spits saying, "What in the devil's name are ye..." before crashing through the floorboards.

They end up in a tunnel, following it until they reach a room. There is a fridge, which Spits asks about, as he did not have fridges in his time. There are also postcards, signed by Mr. Tiny. Harkat is bothered by the postcards, but does not explain why. They then leave the room, Spits taking a few extra bottles of whiskey.

They soon reach the Lake. It is seen to be covered with dragons and Darren and Harkat figure out that they should make bombs, filling the 'gelatinous globes' with the Grotesque venom and throwing it at the dragons. They finally get up close to the Lake and Spits says that when Mr. Tiny brought him here, he told him that there was a spell on the Lake forbidding dragons to be closer than eight metres to the Lake unless a living person fell into the Lake. Then Spits quotes on how many people are in the Lake of Souls. He starts talking about how the crew on the Prince o' Pariah, the ship he used to serve, loved his meals, revealing that he is a cannibal. Spits says that he plans to stay by the Lake of Souls, feeding off the people who lived there. He is persistently told not to feed on the souls and is accidentally knocked away from the eight metre zone. A dragon soon breathes fire at him and he is seen burning, running around not able to see, and then falls into the lake, breaking the spell.

While being ruthlessly attacked by a dragon, Harkat pulls up his former identity, revealed to be Kurda Smahlt. The world freezes and Mr. Tiny appears to congratulate him, explaining that Harkat was created to help protect Darren for Mr. Tiny's own reasons, Mr. Tiny selecting Kurda to become Harkat because he wanted someone who was Darren's friend while he was alive to give the resulting Little Person that extra edge. He also tells them, since Kurda and Harkat are of the same soul, only one could survive. It is decided that Harkat will remain alive, since Harkat would then possess the memories of both him and Kurda while Kurda remaining would remove Harkat's memories.

Back at the Cirque du Freak, Harkat removes the panther's teeth and starts juggling the letters around, and just when he reaches HARKAT, he stops, apparently shocked, then rearranges it to find it reads KURDA SMAHLT. Darren then realizes that Harkat's name is an anagram and that the answer was in front of them all along, saying that if they spent more time on the teeth they might not have had to go through all the tasks. Harkat also takes out the postcards, pointing the time and date it was sent, noting that it was all dated twelve, twenty, thirty, and fifty years later. Harkat then reveals his theory: that the barren land they had visited was the future.

It is also told by Lady Evanna that no matter who wins the War of the Scars, either Darren or Steve would become the Lord of the Shadows who is a ruthless ruler of the night.

**Lord of the Shadows**

Along with the Cirque Du Freak, Darren Shan returns to his home town, the place where it all began. He was still having nightmares about the Lord of the shadows. While the Cirque Du Freak rests at an old abandoned football stadium, Darren walks through his old home. After spotting his sister, Annie Shan, living a happy life with her son at their old house, Darren decides not to disturb them. One night before the freak show starts a boy shows up hoping to get a ticket to attend the freak show. The boy, Darius, asks many questions and acts strangely, leaving Harkat and Darren curious. The freak show starts, Darren and Harkat wait for Darius but he doesn't attend, instead, he sees his old friend Tommy Jones. Jekkus Flangs, a performer of Cirque Du Freak, introduces him to Tommy Jones who is now a famous footballer. Tommy is shocked that Darren was alive after he was proclaimed dead eighteen years ago when he became a vampire assistant, Darren tells him that he had a rare disease that prevented him from aging normally and they had to fake his death to leave home and travel with a physician so he could be helped.

Tommy gives Darren a ticket to the semi final. After the soccer match ends, Darren witnesses RV and Morgan James kill Tommy. Thus, he goes on a hunt for them. He finds them in an old dark-end ally and edges out to the road where Gannen Harst and Steve Leonard had been waiting for him too. Darren also finds out that Darius is Steve's son and that Steve has blooded him. Trained by Steve, Darius shoots Darren using his father's arrow-gun where it strikes him high in his right shoulder. By luck, Darren manages to flee to safety even though he is badly hurt. Later, he is found by two homeless people who take him to their leaders who turn out to be Debbie and Alice, recruiting for the vampire version of the Vampets called Vampirites. Reuniting with Vancha March, Debbie, Evra, and Alice, the group go ahead on their final hunt for the Vampaneze Lord, Steve Leonard. Darren finds Steve at the abandoned cinema theatre. They plan to make a trade between Shancus, Evra's son, who Steve had captured earlier and Darius.

However, before the trading proceeds, Steve breaks Shancus' neck, killing him, and challenging Darren to do the same with Darius. Darren thinks it over and accepts the challenge, but it doesn't end there. Darren was going to stab Darius in the heart but Steve told him that he didn't know who he was killing. Sensing something dark and secret in Steve's tone, Darren hesitates. When Steve asks Darius to tell Darren his mother's name, Darius gawps at his father. Infuriated, Steve asks him to say his mother's name again. He tells him: Annie Leopard, Darren's younger sister, is the mother of Darius. But the Sons of Destiny has more to give...

**Sons of Destiny**

After Darren was told by Steve that Darius is also Darren's nephew, Darren couldn't bear to kill him. He was later shown taking Darius back to his house and there he also revealed his true identity to Annie, his sister. Darren also told Annie that Darius was blooded by Steve as a Vampaneze and he would kill everyone he feeds from. Annie was told about the life and history of Darren. Darren blooded Darius so he wouldn't have to kill as a Vampaneze and becomes a vampire instead. Darren, Alice Burgess, and Vancha would have to prepare for a break in at the stadium to save their friends and the Cirque performers. Darren and Vancha, as the prophecy goes, tailed Gannen Harst and Steve from the stadium and were ready for a final battle. The battle is brief. Vancha first fights both Gannen and Steve using only his hands. He then is wounded by Gannen, rendering him incapable to fight. Gannen was knocked out cold by R. V., who was subsequently stabbed through the neck and killed by Steve, leaving Darren and Steve to worry as the only two left to fight.

As Darren predicted, he must face Steve alone.

As Darren and Steve are fighting next to a riverbank, Darren eventually almost kills Steve. Mr. Tiny then approaches Steve and Darren, telling them that Darren and Steve are actually half-brothers and that Mr. Tiny is their real, biological father. He planned this whole thing as to see which son was worthy enough to become the ruler of the shadows with him.

Darren feels as though he would rather destroy himself than wipe out all of humanity, so Darren taunts Steve before he dies, saying, "You were right. I did plot with Mr Crepsley to take your place as his assistant. We made a fool of you, and I'm glad. You're a nobody. A nothing. This is what you deserve. If Mr Crepsley was alive, he'd be laughing at you now, just like the rest of us are." Steve, full of rage, stabs Darren several times in the gut. Darren pulls Steve into the river while getting himself caught in the current, drowning both and avoiding the prophecy.

Darren's soul then goes to the Lake of Souls, where his soul is caught by Evanna, his half-sister. Evanna had made a deal with her father, Mr. Tiny, agreeing to make Darren a little person so he could go to Paradise. The only exception was that Darren could be spared if Evanna became pregnant by either Vancha or Gannen, hoping that the child will destroy the human race themselves. However, Evanna had taken the DNA of both Vancha and Gannen, and let the child become twins. She says that the twins will be part Vampire, part Vampaneze and part Evanna, so the twins will know both sides very well and convince the two clans to become equal.

Annoyed by seeing Darren again, Mr. Tiny is at first reluctant to help Darren. But, Evanna reminds him of their deal, so, he agrees, much to his dislike. Mr. Tiny changes Darren into a Little Person, but avoids adding a tongue so that he can't speak. Mr. Tiny sends Darren into the past not knowing that Evanna has given Darren his diaries. He is sent back to the first day that he set eyes on the Cirque Du Freak. Darren then sees himself and Steve when they went to go visit the show. Darren then scares himself away so he wouldn't become a vampire in the future, knowing from a conversation with Evanna that someone else will take his place in history and hoping that whoever it is will be able to pass on peacefully after fulfilling his destiny. He also gives his diaries to Mr. Tall to be given to Darren when he's older so everyone will know the truth of what happened, intending to release them after the time of his 'death' in future so that the present cannot be altered. Darren then dies on top of the theater where he goes to wherever the judgement of the vampire gods will bring him. It is implied, though not directly confirmed, that he passes on to paradise, a book that ends in epic tragedy.


End file.
